Overall Expenses

Tuition Fees

To make it more comprehensive, cost of studying in Canada can be easily divided into three parts.

A. Cost of Application

B. Tuition Fees

C. Living Cost and Other Costs (insurance, travel costs and visa fees)

Before departing to Canada you have to make sure you’ve put some money aside for initial expenses, as part of the process as following:

Application fees $50 to $150 depending on the University.

Approximately 25per University due to authentication of documents required by the University (transcripts, recommendation letters).

Entrance exam costs around $ 200 a piece, depending on the field you are applying for. Usually students take this exam two times therefore plan on spending around 500 $ on this test.

Test scores like GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS have to be reported by the testing agencies (like ETS), which may cost up to $ 20 per University (an average cost for reporting scores of all tests you may have taken).

Canada is a big and assorted country even when it comes to expenses, so the money you will spend on University fees overall depend widely on the region you choose to live. The expenses also vary from the different study programs you are enrolled in, whether you are and undergraduate students or a graduate student and so on. A blunt overview of University expenses for international students that study in different provinces in Canada is presented below:

Province

Undergraduate Students

Graduate Student

NewfoundlandPrince Edward Island

Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

Quebec

Ontario

Manitoba

Saskatchewan

Alberta

British Columbia

$7,260$7,510

$8,520 – 12,480

$7,063 – 10,720

$9,168 – 10,518

$6,900 – 16,204

$4,940 – 6,900

$7,779 – 10,890

$6,293 – 11,078

$4,462 – 15,870

$1,896 – 3,549$6,100

$4,329 – 15,000

$5,610 – 8,465

$8,268 – 20,000

$5,432 – 29,000

$3,795 – 9,685

$5,313

$5,298 – $19,200

$2,272 – $17,499

Masters tuition fees will vary considerably depending on which institution you choose and can range from CDN$7,000 to CDN$25,000. In some Canadian Universities, it may go up to CDN $ 35,000 for the entire program. Master degrees in this country are usually wrapped up in two academic years.

Accommodation

University accommodation is considered the best alternative for international students, as renting a private entity might be difficult and costly at first. Commonly, students choose to live in residence halls on campus the first two years.

Students who really appreciate privacy are prone to renting private accommodation though, in the beginning or after the first few months and choose to live independently with roommates. The university itself might provide a list of appropriate accommodation in the vicinity of the campus.

Homestays are set up by the university, and provide home comforts that might make the transition into Canadian life easier for younger international students or those that have never lived away from home before.

Overall, the approximate cost of living per month including the majority of expenses would be $600 to $800, yet it widely depends on your lifestyle.

Taxes

In order to be working during your studies in Canada while in Canada, you are obliged to pay income taxes for the money you will be earning. Any money you earn in Canada is subject to Canadian income tax—this includes income from University employment such as Graduate Assistantships or Teaching Assistantships.

Bear in mind that, regarding taxes your residency status is pretty similar to a Canadian citizen opposed to your immigration status once you live study and work in the state of Canada. As a resident you ought to follow and meticulously fulfill your tax duties.

If you are an international student enrolled in a full degree program, you will use a Canadian resident’s tax form and will be eligible for Canadian residents’ tax deductions and benefits.

There is no way to precisely determine in advance how much tax you will have to pay on your earnings, as this is varied upon numerous factors (i.e., total income, residency status, federal and provincial tax rates, federal and provincial tax credits, and federal and provincial tax deductions).

Living Costs

A rough estimate on the cost of living for an international student, living and studying in Canada for a whole year is depicted below over some common expenses every student is challenged with. As you will see, type of accommodation plays an essential role on the sum up of a student’s cost of living in Canada.